This no-cream simple mushroom soup recipe is the easiest and most wholesome mushroom soup you will ever have. A healthy weeknight meal for the family! And, you can even make it vegan!!
Mushroom soups are usually popular in the fall, but then, we always take advantage of it whenever it is chilly outside like spring. A warm, earthy, and flavorful soup for a cozy feeling to chase away that remaining trail of winter.
This was inspired by my curried split peas soup on this site, and pairs well with this healthy kale of joy and sweet potato salad for a complete meal.
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Why you will love this recipe
Mushroom soup with whole grain and chicken stock is one of those recipes you need in one pot, is cozy and comforting and it is really good for your health too. If all of that sounds like a winner for lunch, dinner, or even breakfast; then today's simple mushroom soup is definitely for you and your family.
A healthy cremini mushroom soup has all the mouthfeel creaminess from rolled oats, the nutty, bold earthy flavour and meaty texture of dried porcini mushroom, the mild savoury and tasty chicken stock and well-balanced aromatics and herbs. You and your gang are gonna love it!
Ingredients needed
Now that you're on board for a delicious and simple mushroom soup, let's round up all the ingredients you will need. Below is the list of ingredients including flavorful aromatics, mushrooms, stock and everything else you'll need to make a healthy bowl of mushroom soup.
- Dried porcini
- Butter or olive oil
- Cremini and white button mushroom or a combination with shitaki, trumpet mushroom and or portobello mushroom.
- Celery
- Cooking onion
- Rolled oats
- Chicken stock - make it vegan , vegetable stock, mushroom stock or water
- Bay leaf
- Fresh or dried thyme leaf
- Salt and pepper
- Lemon juice
- Parsley
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make healthy mushroom soup
Soak
Before you start cutting your vegetables, start preparing the dried porcini first to save some time.
Place the dried porcini mushroom in a bowl and pour hot water to soak. Once it softens, rinse all the stubborn grits hiding under the caps. Transfer the cleaned dried mushroom. Don't throw away the soaking liquid- it has a lot of flavour in it. Two ways to remove the grits accumulated in the soaking liquid: first, let the grits settle at the bottom of the bowl and then slowly pour the liquid into another bowl. Stop when you're almost near the bottom. Second, strain using a coffee filter or a cheesecloth.
Sautée
melt the butter into your saucepan over medium-low heat. Add in the veggies and cook, stirring until they are softened and smell great.
Brown
Increase the heat to medium-high and add in the sliced mushrooms and ½ of the salt. Cook and stir until the mushrooms release their juices and evaporate until slightly browned.
Cook
Add the soaked porcini mushroom, rolled oats, porcini soaking liquid, stock, bay leaf, thyme and the remaining salt. Bring the mushroom soup to boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes with the lid on but slightly ajar. The oats should lose their shape lending a body and thicker but not too thick consistency.
Finish
Stir in the freshly ground pepper, (add more salt if needed) and lemon juice. Ladle in your soup bowl and serve garnished with chopped parsley leaves.
Variations
To make a healthy mushroom soup is as easy as you could imagine. You can use a mixture of mushrooms of your choice or pick one that is readily available. You might be sick of rolled oats because you have been eating oats porridge for the last five days as soon as you get up from bed....rice, quinoa, barley or wheat are a great alternative for a hearty mushroom soup.
- Mushrooms - instead of cremini and button mushrooms, shiitake and trumpet mushrooms are a wonderful combination. Here are the 20 lists of the most popular mushrooms that are commonly used for you to choose from.
- Grains - Don't limit yourself to rolled oats. Quinoa, Barley, wheat, oat groats, or a blend of 2 or three of the grains are great alternatives.
- Vegetarian - This mushroom is not limited to the flavor from chicken stock, make it vegetarian by using olive oil or any cooking oil instead of butter and then vegetable stock or mushroom stock is there for you.
See this whole-grain blend version of mushroom soup on this site.
📖 Recipe
The ultimate mushroom soup
Equipment
- medium saucepan or 2 quart pan
Ingredients
- 14 grams dried porcini
- 2 cups hot water
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup cooking onion. diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 pound cremini mushroom or assorted mushroom, cleaned and thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Place the dried cremini mushroom in a bowl, add 2 cups of hot water and let it soak to soften for about 20-30 minutes. Rinse the soaked mushroom from its soaking liquid as you transfer it to another bowl, make sure to wash off any hidden, stubborn grits. Let the grits subside at the bottom and slowly pour the liquid into another bowl leaving the grits behind. Or, strain the liquid using a coffee filter or a cheesecloth.
- Add the butter to the pan and melt over medium-low heat. Once heated, add the onion and celery and let it sweat until the vegetables are soft about 3 minutes. Add the mushroom and ½ teaspoon of salt and cook until the mushrooms release their juices and evaporate. The mushroom should be caramelized a little.
- Add the porcini mushroom and garlic, cook for a minute. Add the rolled oats, chicken stock, bay leaf, thyme and the strained porcini liquid.
- Increase the heat to boil. Once you reach the boiling point, lower the heat to medium-low and let it simmer steadily with the lid on but slightly ajar until the rolled oats lose their shape lending a thicker consistency, and the mushrooms are tender for about 20-25 minutes. Fish out the bay leaf and discard, add the remaining salt and pepper, stir, taste and add more seasoning if necessary. Drizzle the lemon juice and serve garnished with parsley leaves.
Nutrition
Peter Lalonde says
I took a jab at this and it was amazing, thick and great taste)
Joy Cadwising says
Thank you! I'm glad you like it.
Joy Cadwising says
Fantastic!